Cable clamping means



1944- H. JOHANSON 2,355,166

CABLE CLAMPING MEANS Filed July 22, 1941 MMM Patented Aug. 8, 1944 CABLE CLAMPING MEANS Herman Johanson, Brookline, Mass., asslgnor to Albert & J. M. Anderson Manufacturing Company, South Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 22, 1941, Serial No. 403,478

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a cable clamping means.

The invention has for an object to provide novel means for securing a member, such as an electrical connector of the character having a bore, to a cable and into which the cable is extended to mount the member on the cable in which provision is made for locking the parts in their secured condition in a simple and eflicient manner.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the cable clamping means and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations 01' parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fi 1 is a side elevation of an electrical connector embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal crosssection of the connector shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a planview in cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In general, the present invention contemplates a connector or coupling member adapted to clamp and retain the cable in operative relation to the electrical connection through which it passes to the end that the terminals in such electrical connection to which the cable leads are attached may be relieved from strain when the cable is pulled. The invention is illustrated herein as embodied in a plug member of a plug and socket connection having a longitudinalbore into which the cable is extended to mount the member on the cable, and provision is made [or clamping the plug member to said cable so that the terminals may be relieved from strain when the plug member is pulled out of its cooperating socket member.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, such clamping and locking means may include an annular compressible member carried by the plug member and arranged to. be compressed about the cable in clamping position by a nut and provision is made for locking said nut in its clamped position whereby to prevent inadvertent loosening of the cable from the plug member of the plug and socket connection.

Referring 'now to the drawing, the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in the plug member of an electrical connection comprising a plug and socket connection, and as herein shown, l0 represents the outer casing or insulated shell of such plug member having a bore H in which a cable I2 is received. The cable l2 which passes through the bore of the plug member I II is provided with insulated leads ll which may be connected to the usual terminals (not shown) disposed within the plug member.

Provision is made for clamping the cable l2 to the plug member l0 by means of a compressible packing unit including a packing member l6 preferably of a resilient nature, such as of rubber, which is annular in form and arranged to slidingly embrace the cable when the packing member is in its normally distended form and before pressure is applied to clamp the packing member about the cable.' As herein shown, the packing member is tapered or wedge shaped and arranged to flt into and cooperate with a correspondingly tapered surface is provided at the inlet to the plug member Ill. The inlet end of the plug member is exteriorly threaded and is arranged to receive an internally threaded packing nut 20. The packing nut forms a seat for an annular. member 22, preferably of metal provided with a tapered surface 24 arranged to cooperatively engage a correspondingly tapered surface at the lower end of the resilient packing member Ill.

In operation, it will be seen that upon rotation of the packing nut, in one direction, pressure is exerted upon the end of the packing member l6 thus wedging the packing member between the tapered inlet and the cable and compressibly clamping the cable I 2 to the end of the plug member l0.

Provision is made for locking the packing nut 20 in its adjusted position when it has been tightened sufficiently to cause the rubber packing member to grip the cable, and as herein shown, a coil spring 26 having one end 28 fixed in the plug member In and provided with a hooked portion 30 at its other end is arranged to cooperate with notches forming teeth 32 cut in the upper end of the packing nut 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In operation, when the packing nut is rotated in a direction such as to clamp the cable in the bore of the plug member, the hooked end 30 of the spring rides over the notches 32 and when the nut is tightened suiiiciently, the hook membermalls into one of the notches and thus prevents rotation. of the nut in the opposite direction. When it is desired to disassemble the unit, the hooked end 30 may be manually raised .and held out of the notches 32 while the packing nut 20 is being unscrewed.

From. the above description, it will be observed that in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the present device is adapted to maintain the cable in clamped relation to the casing oi the plug member of a plug and socket connection so as to relieve the strain on the terminals when the plug member is pulled from its socket, and that the locking mechanism maintains the clamping members in their clamped position whereby to prevent inadvertent loosening of the cable from its supporting casing. It will also be seen that the present connector may be embodied in other electrical connections wherein it is desired to maintain a cable in fixed relation to its supporting member such as a switch box, junction box, or other cable inlets or outlets.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it

will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope oi the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with an electrical cable, of a housing forming one end of a cable receiving member, said cable receiving member having one end portion thereof threaded and provided with a longitudinal bore into which the cable is extended to mount the member on the cable, a packing nut in threaded engagement with the threaded portion oi said cable receiving member, said nut having notches in the leading and thereof, a compressible packing member within the packing nut for clamping the cable receiving member to the cable to prevent withdrawal there- 01 from said bore, and locking means for the packing nut, said locking means comprising a coil spring normally carried by said cable receiving member and having one end fixed in the cable receiving member at a point beyond the threaded portion 01' said cable receiving member and provided with a hook at its second end engageable with the notches in said nut to lock said nut against inadvertent unscrewing.

2. The combination with an electrical cable, of a casing part for receiving one end of said cable, said cable receiving member having one end portion thereof threaded and provided with a longitudinal bore into which the cable is extended to mount the member on the cable, a packing nut in threaded engagement with the threaded portion of said cable receiving member, said packing nut having notches in the leading face thereof, means within the packing nut for clamping the cable receiving member on the cable, an annular wedge member 01' non-resilient material seated in said clampin nut and arranged to force said packing nut into clamping engagement with said cable, and locking means for the packing nut comprising a coil spring normally carried by said cable receiving member having one end fixed in said cable receiving member and provided with a hook at its other end engageable with the notches in said nut to lock said nut against inadvertent unscrewing.

HERMAN JOHANBON. 

